Digitale Lehre an und rund um der Technischen Universität Graz
We also presented one paper within the Experience Track of the EMOOCs 2025 conference in Paris. This time the presentation was about „Implementing multilingual MOOCs in European University Alliances with the help of AI usage, LTI and open licenses: Technical & organizational challenges (Presentation)„. Our slides are, of course, available online.
Our second presentation at this year’s EMOOCS conference is about „Empowering Non-Specialist Teachers and Students in Coding: A Case Study of a Python MOOC in an Austrian High School„. Find here our slides:
Our first presentation at the EMOOCS 2025 conference in Paris is titled „Exploring genAI Chatbots in MOOCs: Analyzing Student Interactions and Self-Regulated Learning Behaviors„. Find here our slides:
Es freut uns sehr, dass wir an der TU Graz nun auch eine Online-Studienwahl-Tool anbieten können. Die Idee ist simpel: Wir würden gerne alle Interessierten, die vielleicht die Idee haben an der TU Graz zu studieren, die Möglichkeit geben, sich zu informieren und zu sehen welches Studium wirklich passt.
Der Prozess dazu war nicht einfach, aber alle Studiendekan:innen haben mitgeholfen und zusammen mit der jeweiligen Fakultät erarbeitet, was das eigene Studium für Anforderungen hat – nicht nur inhaltliche, sondern eben auch andere. Also ob vielleicht viel Ausdauer, Geduld, Genauigkeit etc. erforderlich ist. Aber was erzähl ich, schaut bitte einfach rein und vielleicht findet ihr das passende Studium für euch. Und natürlich würde ich mich sehr freuen, wenn es am Ende das Lehramt für Informatik und Digitale Grundbildung ist.
[Link zum StudyExplorer der TU Graz]
Our research about AI-Driven Avatars was presented at 27th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Struger, P., Brünner, B., & Ebner, M. (2025, Juni 23). Presentation: Synthetic Educators: Analyzing AI-Driven Avatars in Digital Learning Environments. Graz University of Technology. https://doi.org/10.3217/bngt5-p2053
Benedikt presented our research work at 27th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Brünner, B., & Ebner, M. (2025, Juni 23). Presentation: InfoFit and Beyond: AI Chatbots as EdTech Tools for Self-Regulated Learning in MOOCs. Graz University of Technology. https://doi.org/10.3217/4hn9k-bz211
At this year’s ED-Media conference, we also did a workshop on „Understanding the Core of LLMs as genAI -CollectiveGPT and Human Intelligence„. Find a short published summary about it.
Abstract:
This workshop provides an engaging and interactive exploration of Large Language Models (LLMs), with a focus on how they operate at a foundational level. Using CollectiveGPT, an educational chatbot developed by the Ed-Tech Research Community Graz, participants gained firsthand experience understanding the principles behind generative AI (genAI) systems such as ChatGPT. Designed for educators of all disciplines, the workshop demystifies key LLM concepts such as probability-based word prediction, contextual understanding, and the role of training data. Attendees generated texts and compare their results with real-time outputs from ChatGPT, highlighting the differences between human reasoning and AI prediction. Key topics include prompting techniques, context framing, training bias, misinformation, and ethical considerations in AI use. Participants explored system prompt injection techniques and developed advanced prompting skills to optimize responses from AI systems. This workshop empowered educators with the knowledge to critically evaluate and responsibly use AI tools in their teaching. By fostering AI literacy, attendees got clear understanding of how LLMs work and how they can be leveraged to enhance learning experiences across diverse educational settings.
[publication @ conference website]
[draft @ ResearchGate]
Reference: Brünner, B. & Ebner, M. (2025). Understanding the Core of LLMs as genAI – CollectiveGPT and Human Intelligence. In T. Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning (pp. 153-154). Barcelona, Spain: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved June 14, 2025 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/226329/.
We also did workshops at this year’s ED-Media conference. One of them was titled „Workshop for Special Interest Group Emerging Technologies for Learning and Teaching: Exploring Educational Podcasts with AI“ and followed the idea of open discussions.
Abstract:
How can educators unleash the power of AI without losing control over core educational strategies? In this workshop, we introduced aicast, an open-source platform for educational podcasts that combines the best of both worlds: AI-generated elements for personalization and flexibility, and fixed elements, with instructor-defined content to ensure pedagogical accuracy. This hybrid approach reduces the risks associated with AI-generated materials like hallucinations. Attendees experienced how the platform utilizes LLMs like ChatGPT for personalized content authoring and ElevenLabs for high-quality voice synthesis, enabling real-time creation of educational audio content. After a short demo and hands-on session, participants engaged in a guided discussion: What is the core of an educational podcast? Most importantly from the perspective of an instructional designer, how must an educational podcast be? This session was part of the Special Interest Group on Emerging Technologies for Learning and Teaching at the ED-Media 2025 conference.
[draft @ ResearchGate]
[full article @ conference website]
Reference: Ebner, M. & Brünner, B. (2025). Workshop for Special Interest Group Emerging Technologies for Learning and Teaching: Exploring Educational Podcasts with AI. In T. Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning (pp. 1375-1376). Barcelona, Spain: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved June 4, 2025 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/226347/.
Es freut uns sehr, dass auch die Universität Paderborn und die PH Ludwigsburg einen weiteren MOOC gestartet hat, mit dem Titel „Digitalisierungsbezogene Kompetenzen im Chemieunterricht fördern – Ein Kurs für Lehrkräfte„.
In diesem MOOC erhalten Sie einen Überblick über aktuelle Themen der Lehrkräftebildung im Fach Chemie, wie z.B. digitale Messwerterfassung, Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung, Kontextualisierung, Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) oder EduEscape Games. In kurzen Lektionen erwarten Sie Videos, Arbeitsaufträge, Austausch- und Vernetzungsangebote in Foren, Quizze und mehr. Dabei können Sie die Inhalte orts- und zeitunabhängig erarbeiten. Während die einzelnen Module Schwerpunkte auf unterschiedliche Themenfelder legen, findet immer wieder auch Vernetzung zwischen den Bereichen statt.
Dieser Kurs richtet sich an Lehrkräfte, Lehramtsanwärter:innen sowie Studierende im Fach Chemie und verwandten Fachgebieten. Für Fragen und Anregungen stehen wir gerne jederzeit zur Verfügung.
Weitere Informationen zum Projekt ComeMINT-Netzwerk finden Sie hier.
Die Teilnahme ist natürlich kostenlos: [Anmeldung zum kostenlosen Kurs]
This is an impactful contributions, methodological rigor, and exceptional novelty in the research field of AI in education.
Our chapter in the new book on Emerging Technologies, „Early Findings from Pilots in AI-Driven Education: Effects of AI-Generated Courses and Videos on Learning and Teaching,“ has been published.
Abstract:
This paper presents the (preliminary) findings from three pilot activities conducted at TU Graz over the past 18 months, exploring the use of AI in generating (open) educational resources. The first pilot involved developing a MOOC titled “Societech: Society in the Context of Information Technologies”, which utilized various AI tools to create videos and learning materials, engaging over 500 participants. The second pilot focused on creating multilingual videos for the MOOC “Open Educational Resources in Higher Education”, using AI-generated avatars of course instructors, involving more than 800 participants. The third pilot was a field study conducted in an Austrian secondary school, where 20 students aged 12–15 could choose between videos featuring their teacher, an AI-generated human avatar, or a cartoon character. Preliminary results indicate a clear preference for teacher-led videos, highlighting the significant role of the teacher in the learning process. While AI tools facilitated quicker and more cost-effective production of educational resources, challenges such as the need for quality assurance and handling of (now possible) automatic translations were noted.
[draft @ ResearchGate]
[full version @ publisher’s website]
Reference: Schön, S., Brünner, B., Ebner, M., Edelsbrunner, S., Hohla-Sejkora, K., Uhl, B. (2025). Early Findings from Pilots in AI-Driven Education: Effects of AI-Generated Courses and Videos on Learning and Teaching. In: Auer, M.E., May, D. (eds) 2024 Yearbook Emerging Technologies in Learning. Learning and Analytics in Intelligent Systems, vol 44. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80388-8_2